Storage Container Having Two-Compartment Structure

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is a storage container having a two-compartment structure, which includes a main container used at home and an auxiliary container separated from the main container and carried during a user&#39;s journey or business trip. The storage container, which is sealed by lids, includes: a main container  4  and an auxiliary container  5  having separate lids  2  and  3 , respectively; coupling means  10  disposed at the bottoms of the main container  4  and the auxiliary container  5 , the coupling means  10  of the auxiliary container  5  corresponding to the coupling means  10  of the main container  4 ; and a face portion  6  formed on one of the lids  2  and  3  respectively joined to the main container  4  and the auxiliary container  5  so that the storage container can stand on the ground.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a storage container having a two-compartment structure that can therein store various functional foods or medical supplies, such as vitamin tablets, and more particularly, to a storage container having a two-compartment structure, which includes a main container used at home and an auxiliary container separated from the main container and carried during a user's journey or business trip.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various functional foods or medical supplies, such as vitamin tablets, (hereinafter, referred to as “functional foods”) are provided to consumers in a state where they are packed in a capsule in the unit of one tablet or contained in a mass storage container by more than 100 tablets.

In the case where the functional foods are packed in the capsule in the unit of one tablet, there is little problem in carrying them during a user's journey or business trip, but in the case where the functional foods are contained in the mass storage container, it is difficult to carry them.

In this case, the users may carry the mass storage container, prepare and may carry a small-sized container to put a desired amount of functional foods therein, or may carry a vinyl bag after putting a given amount of functional foods therein.

However, as described above, if the functional foods are put and stored in the small-sized container or the vinyl bag, the functional foods may go bad, portability is deteriorated, and the inside of a bag, which contains the small-sized container or the vinyl bag, may get dirty.

Furthermore, it is general that a packed damp-proof agent is put in the storage container to prevent the functional foods from getting damaged by moisture. However, since the damp-proof agent goes out with the functional foods when the user takes out the functional foods from the storage container, he or she suffers from an inconvenience of having to put the damp-proof agent into the storage container again.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior arts, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a storage container having a two-compartment structure, which includes a main container used at home and an auxiliary container joined to the main container, the auxiliary container being separated from the main container and carried during a user's journey or business trip, and which can prevent going-out of a damp-proof agent when the user takes out functional foods from the container.

To accomplish the above object, according to the present invention, a storage container includes a main container and an auxiliary container, which are respectively sealed by lids. The main container and the auxiliary container are removably coupled with each other in a state where the bottoms of the main container and the auxiliary container abut against each other, and the auxiliary container can be separated from the main container, if necessary, to provide easiness in carrying.

Furthermore, the storage container according to the present invention includes damp-proof agent fixing means disposed on the lids to prevent going-out of the damp-proof agent when the user takes out the functional foods from the storage container.

According to the present invention, there is provided a storage container having a two-compartment structure, which is sealed by a lid, comprising: a main container and an auxiliary container respectively having separate lids; coupling means disposed at the bottoms of the main container and the auxiliary container, the coupling means of the auxiliary container corresponding to the coupling means of the main container; and a face portion formed on one of the lids respectively joined to the main container and the auxiliary container so that the storage container can stand on the ground.

Moreover, the coupling means for coupling the main container and the auxiliary container with each other includes: a convex portion formed on the bottom of the main container; a concave portion formed on the bottom of the auxiliary container; and a male screw formed on the outer circumference of the convex portion and a female screw formed on the outer circumference of the concave portion. Alternatively, the coupling means includes: a convex portion formed on the bottom of the main container, the convex portion having upwardly opened indentations opposed to each other and guide grooves formed on lower portions of the indentations in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction in such a way that their diameters are gradually increased; and a concave portion formed on the bottom of the auxiliary container, the concave portion having fixing projections formed on an inner circumferential surface thereof in such a way as to move along the guide grooves in a state where the fixing projections are respectively inserted into the indentations.

In addition, each of the lids has two to four retaining pieces opposed to each other on an inner side thereof in such a way as to form a receiving portion, so that a damp-proof agent can be fixedly received in the receiving portion.

When the user uses the storage container of the two-layer structure according to the present invention, the user can take out and eat the functional foods stored in the main container at home, and put the functional foods, which were stored in the main container, into the auxiliary container and carry the auxiliary container when the user makes a journey or business trip. Accordingly, the storage container of the two-layer structure according to the present invention provides easiness in carrying and is used conveniently since the damp-proof agent does not go out when the user takes out the functional foods from the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the outward appearance of a storage container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a section view showing a state where an auxiliary container coupled to a main container is located on the ground or the floor according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a modification of coupling means applied to the present invention;

FIG. 6 a is a plan sectional view showing a state of the coupling means of FIG. 5 before the main container and the auxiliary container are coupled with each other; and

FIG. 6 b is a plan sectional view showing a state where the main container and the auxiliary container are coupled with each other through the coupling means of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will be now made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the outward appearance of a storage container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view of FIG. 1.

As shown in the drawings, the storage container 1 having a two-layer structure includes two containers, which are separable from each other.

That is, the storage container 1 includes a main container 4 and an auxiliary container 5, which are respectively sealed by lids 2 and 3 joined thereto in a screw-coupling manner or a forcedly fitting manner. The main container 4 and the auxiliary container 5 respectively have coupling means 10 corresponding to each other to removably couple the main container 4 and the auxiliary container 5 with each other, and hence, they are coupled with each other by means of the corresponding coupling means 10 in a state where bottoms of the main container 4 and the auxiliary container 5 abut against each other.

The coupling means 10 includes a convex portion 4 a formed on the bottom of the main container 4, a concave portion 5 a formed on the bottom of the auxiliary container 5, and a male screw 11 formed on the outer circumference of the convex portion 4 a and a female screw 12 formed on the outer circumference of the concave portion 5 a, so that the main container 4 and the auxiliary container 5 are screw-coupled with each other. In this instance, the screw-coupling may be achieved by a right-hand screw manner, but in case where the lids 2 and 3 joined to the main container 4 and the auxiliary container 5 adopt the screw-coupling manner, it is preferable to adopt a left-hand screw manner to prevent a separation of the main container 4 and the auxiliary container 5 from each other when the containers 4 and 5 are opened.

The lids 2 and 3 respectively joined to the main container 4 and the auxiliary container 5 are formed in a hemisphere in consideration of the outward appearances of the lids 2 and 3, and one of the lids 2 and 3 has a face portion 6 so that the storage container 1 can easily stand on the ground.

Moreover, each of the lids 2 and 3 has two to four retaining pieces 8 opposed to each other on an inner side thereof in such a way as to form a receiving portion 7, so that a damp-proof agent 30 adapted to safely preserve functional foods 20 stored in the main container 4 and the auxiliary container 5 can be fixedly received in the receiving portion 7.

FIG. 4 is a section view showing a state where the auxiliary container is located on the ground or the floor according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a modification of the coupling means, and FIGS. 6 a and 6 b are plan sectional views showing a coupled state of the coupling means of FIG. 5.

The coupling means 10 for coupling the main container 4 and the auxiliary container 5 with each other includes a convex portion 4 a formed on the bottom of the main container 4 and a concave portion 5 a formed on the bottom of the auxiliary container 5, the convex portion 4 a having upwardly opened indentations 13 opposed to each other and guide grooves 14 formed on lower portions of the indentations 13 in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction in such a way that their diameters are gradually increased, the concave portion 5 a having fixing projections 15 formed on an inner circumferential surface thereof in such a way as to move along the guide grooves 14 in a state where the fixing projections 15 are respectively inserted into the indentations 13, whereby the main container 4 and the auxiliary container 5 are coupled with each other.

That is, as shown in FIG. 6 a, in the state where the fixing projections 15 are inserted into the indentations 13, when a user rotates the main container 4 and the auxiliary container 5 in opposite directions to each other, the fixing projections 15 move along the guide grooves 14, which are gradually increased in diameter. After that, as shown in FIG. 6 b, the fixing projections 15 are in close contact with bottoms of the guide grooves 14 to thereby couple the main container 4 and the auxiliary container 5 with each other.

While the present invention has been described with reference to the particular illustrative embodiment, it is not to be restricted by the embodiment but only by the appended claims. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can change or modify the embodiment without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. 

1. A storage container having a two-compartment structure, which is sealed by a lid, the storage container comprising: a main container 4 and an auxiliary container 5 having separate lids 2 and 3, respectively; coupling means 10 disposed at the bottoms of the main container 4 and the auxiliary container 5, the coupling means 10 of the auxiliary container 5 corresponding to the coupling means 10 of the main container 4; and a face portion 6 formed on one of the lids 2 and 3 respectively joined to the main container 4 and the auxiliary container 5 so that the storage container can stand on the ground.
 2. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein the coupling means 10 for coupling the main container 4 and the auxiliary container 5 with each other comprises: a convex portion 4 a formed on the bottom of the main container 4; a concave portion 5 a formed on the bottom of the auxiliary container 5; and a male screw 11 formed on the outer circumference of the convex portion 4 a and a female screw 12 formed on the outer circumference of the concave portion 5 a.
 3. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein the coupling means 10 for coupling the main container 4 and the auxiliary container 5 with each other comprises: a convex portion 4 a formed on the bottom of the main container 4, the convex portion 4 a having upwardly opened indentations 13 opposed to each other and guide grooves 14 formed on lower portions of the indentations 13 in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction in such a way that their diameters are gradually increased; and a concave portion 5 a formed on the bottom of the auxiliary container 5, the concave portion 5 a having fixing projections 15 formed on an inner circumferential surface thereof in such a way as to move along the guide grooves 14 in a state where the fixing projections 15 are respectively inserted into the indentations
 13. 4. The storage container according to one of claim 1, wherein each of the lids 2 and 3 has two to four retaining pieces 8 opposed to each other on an inner side thereof in such a way as to form a receiving portion 7, so that a damp-proof agent 30 can be fixedly received in the receiving portion
 7. 5. The storage container according to one of claim 2, wherein each of the lids 2 and 3 has two to four retaining pieces 8 opposed to each other on an inner side thereof in such a way as to form a receiving portion 7, so that a damp-proof agent 30 can be fixedly received in the receiving portion
 7. 6. The storage container according to one of claim 3, wherein each of the lids 2 and 3 has two to four retaining pieces 8 opposed to each other on an inner side thereof in such a way as to form a receiving portion 7, so that a damp-proof agent 30 can be fixedly received in the receiving portion
 7. 